Boot sole straightening and carrying device



Dec. 19, 1961 I H. J. BARRECA 3,013,286

BOOT SOLE STRAIGHTENING AND CARRYING DEVICE Filed March 16, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 l l 2 i I I I l I 46 g I 4 46= g l I W "Hm" WI 36 I F|G.1 F G 2 INVENTOR.

jjzgazh/wt ATTORNEY Dec. 19, 1961 H. J. BARRECA 3,013,236

BOOT SOL-E STRAIGHTENING AND CARRYING DEVICE Filed March 16, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG.3

ATTORNEY United States Patent 7 3,013,286 BOOT SOLE STRAIGHTENING AND CARRYING DEVICE Henry J. Barreca, 925Prospect Place, Brooklyn, NY. Filed Mar. 16, 1959, Ser. No. 799,657 1' Claim. (Cl. 12--120.5)

This invention relates to a boot sole straightener and carrying device and is an improvement over the device disclosed in my application Serial No. 414,259, filed March 5, 1954 which has matured into Patent No. 2,883,688 granted April 28, 1959. The device of the above mentioned application has had singular success in the field. However, the instant invention makes specific improvements thereon in rendering the device more economical to manufacture while further simplifying its use.

As was pointed out in the above-entitled application, the device is specifically adapted to maintain the soles of ski boots straight or flat so that the boots will rest correspondingly flatly on the ski. The device applies considerable downward force upon the heels and'soles of the boots so as to maintain them straight or flat during times when the boots are not in use. Further, the device serves as a carrier for the boots.

In the above mentionedapplication'there is disclosed a heel holding portion which has been considerably simplified in the instant invention. Thus, the base of the improved device comprises a bottom platform which is secured to the bottom portion of the device as by spot welding or the like. i This bottom platform is capable of permanent adjustment in respect to any particular pair of boots and is further provided with relatively soft plastic covered feet for protecting a surface on which the device rests.

The instant invention also improves the clamping apparatus in that the user will not inadvertently loosen the clamp to the extent that the clamping or gripping element becomes loosened and falls away from the body of the article.

The invention will be further understood from the fol-' lowing description and drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view of the improved article;

FIGURE 2 is an end elevational view thereof and illustrating the carrying of a pair of boots thereby;

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view as taken along the line 33 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged cross'sectional view as taken along the line 4-4 of FIGURE 1 and FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 5 is a bottom plan view of the device; and

FIGURE 6 is a cross-sectional view as taken along the line 6-6 of FIGURE 5.

The device comprises a main body 10 having opposed platforms 11 and 12 which constitute opposite faces of the main body. Body 10 is of substantially flattened hollow tubular formation being formed of two opposing halves welded together at 37 as illustrated in FIGURE 4. Each platform 11 and 12 is formed with parallel, longitudinal, concave-convex grooves 13 in which slide the feet of the longitudinally adjustable clamping members as will hereinafter be made clear. Each platform is also provided with a central longitudinal slot 14 through which the clamping bolt extends and in respect to which it is adjustable as will hereinafter be made clear.

For carrying purposes, the article is provided with a flexible strap 15 which may be of plastic, canvas, leather or the like and which is connected to the body of the article as by rings 16.

The clamping members are formed with a head or top plate 17 which is shown as substantially planar apart Patented Dec. 19, 1961 from its centraldome 18. Dome 18 is formed with -a longitudinal slot 19 in which is slidably disposed a threaded bolt 20. Threaded over bolt 20 is Wing nut 21 below which is washer 22 which rests against the margins of slot 19. An underlying washer 23 rests against the inside margins of slot 19.

- The base of bolt 20, adjacent to its head 24, is formed with a vertically knurled and slightly diametrically enlarged collar 25. This permits simplified fixed engagement of bolt 20 with the slidable retaining plate 26 disposed against the underside of each platform. Retaining plate 26 is formed with edge channels 27 which ride upon the lower convex surfaces of the concavo-convex grooves 13. Retaining plate 26 is formed with a slot 28 which receives the front lip 29 of tongue 30. Tongue 30 is disposed loosely around the neck of bolt 20. Its aforementioned lip 29 penetrates longitudinal, length adjusting slot 14 and enters into horizontal slot 28 of the retaining plate 26 so as to cause the retaining plate 26 to slide together with the clamping members.

Rear lip 31 of tongue 30 enters a horizontal slot 32 in the rearward skirt 33 which is the rear portion of the clamp member being integral with top plate 17 thereof. The lower edge of skirt 33- is formed with opposed feet 34 which ride in the grooves 13.

A coil spring 35 surrounds the threaded body of bolt 20 between the washer 23 and the tongue 30. The purpose of the spring is to maintain the vertically adjustable top plate 17 in a normally upward position except as urged downwardly by the wing nut 21. A further function of the spring 35 is, in cooperation with tongue 30, to'maintain the entire clamping member in a substantially fixed position in relation to slot 14. This position is said to be fixed since the clamping member will remain in an adjusted longitudinal position although it can be manually slid in slot 14 against the action of spring 35 which is not of sufficient strength to impede manually controlled sliding movement of the clamping member in slot 14.

The advantageous results of employing the threaded bolt 20 in cooperation with the wing nut 21 is that the bolt remains stationary while the wing nut can apply considerable force to clamp the plate 17 over the front portion of the slot of the boot as illustrated in FIGURE 2. Generally, the boot is applied in place and the clamping member is slid downwardly in slot 14 until the concave lip 35 of the top plate 17 engages the sole as illustrated in FIGURE 2. Thereafter the wing nut 21 is manually screwed forcefully downwardly to provide the clamping pressure. When the boot is to be released, the wing nut is loosened and the clamping member is then slid upwardly away from the boot. During such loosening the user will note the end of bolt 20 and will not unscrew the wing nut until it passes the end of the bolt. It will be observed that this is easily prevented since the user can see the end of the bolt relative to the wing nut.

This invention further includes the unitary, transverse base 36 which is connected to the lower end of the body 10 as by spot welding. Base 36 is formed with an upper plate '38 which is provided with a central opening formed by downwardly extending parallel flanges 39 which are integral with the upper plate 38. As illustrated in FIGURE 6, the lower portion of body 10 is inserted into the space defined by the parallel flanges 39 where it may be welded thereto so that the horizontal base extends laterally planarly on both sides of the body 10. The sides 40 of base 36 terminate in corner feet which are embraced by resilient plastic shoes 41. Thus, the feet are defined in part by vertical slots 42 formed in sides 40 so that the shoes, which are simply plastic sleeves open at one end thereof to admit the feet, are deposited over such feet. Inasmuch as the device is generally made of metal and may be sharp in places, and the boots being quite heavy, the effect of shoes 41 is to protect a surface upon which the device rests.

The upper plate 38 of base 36 is formed with slots 45. Angle brackets 46, which serve as heel clamping members, are formed with bottom slots to receive bolts 47. Bolts 47 are slidably received in slots 45 and are tightened in respect thereto as by wing nuts 48. Thus, the angle brackets 46 may he slid inwardly or outwardly relative to body 10 in accordance with the heel size of the boots as illustrated in FIGURE 2. This is a permanent adjustment for any particular pair of boots. In other words, brackets 46 will be slid outwardly in slots 45 in accordance with the height of the heel and will then be tightened. Thereafter the heel 'of the boot need only be installed in place as illustrated in FIGURE 2 while the clamp top plate 17 is brought downwardly and tigtened to retain the entire boot in place.

The top edge 49 of the bracket 46 is preferably concave as illustrated in FIGURE 1 so as to snugly embrace the top of the heel. In adition, the bottom section of the bracket 46 is formed with feet 50 which ride in grooves formed in the upper plate 38 on both sides of the central slot 45 as illustrated in FIGURE 1. As above stated, the brackets 46 are adjusted on each side of the body 10 in accordance with the height of the heel of the boots whereupon the nuts 48 are tightened.

The bottom assembly of the article is very simple relative to any prior devices. It is only necessary to slip the base 36 to the body and weld it in place. The brackets or clamps 46, after having been once set by the user, need not be thereafter adjusted. They are fixed in place on base 36 since the top adjustment of the clamp 17 is all that is required to accommodate the length of the boot.

There has been shown what is now considered a preferred embodiment of the invention but it is obvious that changes and omissions may be made without departing from its spirit.

What is claimed is:

A boot sole straightener and carrying device comprising a pair of opposed platforms each respectively adapted to grip one of a pair of boots and jointly forming an elongated body, a pair of opposed clamps on each of said platforms for engaging a boot at its extreme front and rear portions, at least one clamp of each pair of clamps being longitudinally adjustable in accordance with the length of the boots to be gripped, the other clamp of each pair being slidably adjustable in accordance with the height of the heel of the boots, means to lock said other clamps in fixed adjusted position, a base embracing the lower end of said body and extending laterally planarly on both sides of said body, said other clamps being mounted on the upper surface of said base, and side walls on said base, each of said side walls being formed with one vertical slot defining corner feet, and relatively soft shoes slid into the slots and covering said feet so as to prevent marring of a surface upon which the device rests.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,561,291 Aalborg Nov. 10, 1925 1,618,264 Bodden Feb. 22, 1927 1,679,461 Worsching Aug. 7, 1928 1,736,121 Konikofi et a1 Nov. 19, 1929 2,625,696 Dahl ...a- Ian. 20, 1953 2,883,688 Barreca Apr. 28, 1959 

